Sunday Mornings at Cedars

Reverend Barbara Cornell, Cedars Guest Speaker Gregory Cook, Worship Associate We've been seeing in the news recently, that empathy is bad, even toxic. How could this be? Going to the research, we find three distinct empathies. They each have unique qualities that are worth exploring. This week, we'll reflect on the three empathies and find some ideas about how we can build our skills to u...

Reverend Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Come and hear stories of everyday people who took on established, unjust policies. Stories include the return of land to Indigenous Tribes and Nations. Reverend Margo Rinehart serves Cedars by welcoming people from diverse theological and religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs on their journeys to learn from one another,...

Cedars Guest Speaker - Reverend Dr. Barry Andrews Worship Associate, Liz Motter Unitarian Universalism is better described in terms of themes or strands than a bunch of names and dates. Although one or more of them have been dominant in certain periods, all are still present in our liberal religious DNA. These are, in my view at least, Liberal Christianity, Transcendentalism, Progressivism, Univer...

Reverend Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Alan Miller and Joanna Munson, Worship Associates Explore how our Unitarian Universalist values and the strength of covenant shape and strengthen who we are during these times of change and challenge. Hear what the Cedars community can offer you this year. Reverend Margo Rinehart serves Cedars by welcoming people from diverse theological and religious backg...

Chalice Reflection - Patricia Erdmann Guest Speakers - Nancy Philip, Naomi Gary, and Sandy Spears Worship Associate - Nancy Philip This Worship will discuss service as a spiritual paradox where giving acts as a direct gift to the self. We will highlight how local, tangible actions of communal care allow volunteers to anchor themselves against the overwhelming brokenness of the world.

Reverend Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister David Thomas, Worship Associate Join in the annual sacred ritual of the confluence of the experiences in our lives.  Come and celebrate the summer water that nurtured our gardens, flowed through our vacations and sustained our souls.  Remember to bring a small amount of water for the communal vessel. Reverend Margo Rinehart serves Cedars by welcoming people...

Barbara Gilday, Cedars Guest Speaker Gregory Cook, Worship Associate At various times in our lives, we find ourselves, personally or communally, hitting a wall or falling off a cliff. In some ways, life seems to throw catastrophic imperatives at us. Then we have choices, and perhaps those are our greatest teachers. The values we live by give us the guardrails to recovery – not only to survive, but...

Chas Malatesta, Guest Speaker Johanna Munson, Worship Associate Together we will explore three pillars: 1. We protect the vote because it protects our people. 2. Community is our antidote to oppression. 3. Staying connected is a spiritual practice. Chas Malatesta is an educator, equity advocate, and community leader dedicated to celebrating culture and fostering belonging. With over two decades of...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate We gather to celebrate the graduation of Gavin Barnes and to take joy in knowing that life's journeys and explorations never end.  May we all free our inner navigator and take command of the ship of our lives.   Reverend Margo Rinehart  serves Cedars by welcoming people from diverse theological and religious backgrounds and s...

Elizabeth Doll, Cedars Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Braver Angels is the nation’s largest political depolarization non-profit, and we’re run mostly by volunteers all across the country. Transforming the political culture in the country for the better is a tall order, but one that’s achievable if we all do our part to love our neighbors and people we perceive as our enemies. Elizab...

Rev.  Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate Indigenous author and scientist, Robin Wall Kimmerer tells us that hoarding will never save us, rather all flourishing is mutual.  On this Sunday we will explore what flourishing looks like in our personal lives and societal structures. Reverend Margo Rinehart  serves Cedars by welcoming people from diverse theological and rel...

Kathryn Lafond, Cedars Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Why does it seem we are afraid to listen to our Higher-Self? What I am led to understand, through nearly thirty years as an intuitive, is that by learning to live from our heart-centered, heart-led perspective, we open to potentials far beyond the limitations we’ve currently set for ourselves. Why not make this journey more light...

Rev.  Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister David Thomas, Worship Associate Now that the fireworks and Presidential speeches are over, what stays with us after the July 4th celebrations?  The proposition that all men are created equal must be tested again and again with each new generation.  As America has not yet filled its promise, how can we, as individuals keep us moving toward that goal? Reverend M...

Angela Lujan, Cedars Guest Speaker Liz Motter, Worship Associate The development and importance of community and the role it plays in resilience. How it relates to Pride and its importance for all of us. Angela Lujan is a board member of Poulsbo Pride, the Executive Director of NW Hopeful Horizons, and an employee of Kitsap Mental Health. As a mental health professional of 14 years, serving the Ki...

Rev. Barbara Cornell, Cedars Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate In his book,  The Wild Edge of Sorrow , grief therapist Francis Weller says, “In our grief we are broken apart and reassembled. It is hard, painful, and unbidden work. No one goes in search of loss; rather, it finds us and reminds us of the temporary gift we have been given, these few sweet breaths we call life.” Join us t...

Chuck Walbridge, Cedars Guest Speaker Liz Motter, Worship Associate Within parts of the liberal left, there are voices that speak of men through the lens of toxic masculinity, hoping to name real harm but sometimes painting with too broad a brush. On the illiberal right, the manosphere often responds by amplifying the very traits it is criticized for. And in the space between these loud extremes,...

Rev. Barbara Gilday, Cedars Guest Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate Featuring music by Gretchen Yanover As we try to make sense of what is happening in our country, it is useful to look back at some past recoveries, and importantly, look at what successful strategies are being employed in our day.  We must not lose faith. We must not give in. And true to our Unitarian Universalist values,...

Rev.  Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Liz Motter, Worship Associate As spring turns into summer, Unitarian Universalists from around the world celebrate Flower Communion, a ceremony of celebration of each person's uniqueness and to honor how we flourish together. Flower Communion was created for his congregation in 1923 by Czech Unitarian minister, Nobert Capek.  Remember to bring a few blosso...

Rev. Bruce Bode, Cedars Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate This is a companion sermon to Rev. Bruce Bode’s January 4 sermon titled “The Road Not Taken”, which was based on Robert Frost’s poem by that title. This follow-up sermon will look at the road we have taken in life, then explore how we go forward from where we are. NOTE: A print version of the January 4 service can be found at t...

Rev.  April Frazier, Cedars Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Have you ever felt like “feeling grateful” was one more thing on your to-do list? Or a cliche that makes you roll your eyes? Or maybe wonder if it is even possible to pay attention to gratitude when everything else happening in the world crowds it out? Let’s take a breath, take off the pressure and find an opening in the mu...

Rev.  Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister David Thomas, Worship Associate Join us for this special Sunday morning service where Reverend Margo and selected congregants will be reading their favorite poems to uplift us and give expression to our deepest universal experiences. Reverend Margo Rinehart serves Cedars by welcoming people from diverse theological and religious backgrounds and spiritual belie...

Nancy Philip and Gregory Cook, Cedars Guest Speakers Our seasoned Worship Associates Gregory Cook and Nancy Philip share their perspectives on the topic of motherhood. Nancy Philip joined Cedars in 1997 with her partner Jeff and their children Marina, Lydia, and Archer. She has served as a Religious Educator, trustee, long‑time committee member, OWL facilitator (often co‑facilitating with Gregory...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Liz Motter, Worship Associate The poet Rilke tells us not to seek the answers to our questions, rather to live everything, to live the questions now.  In this service we will explore how holy curiosity helps us engage our underlying beliefs and yearnings, and the tangles that long to be unknotted in the search for meaning in our lives and wider world. Reverend...

Jennifer Alviar, Cedars Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Impermanence is difficult for the mind to grasp and the heart to accept. Come join us as we co-create an earth mandala together. May this nature-based community art form guide us in the spiritual practice of letting go with more grace. Rev. Jennifer Alviar  is a Unitarian Universalist minister who designs rituals for healing an...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Fran Korten and Michael Cox, Cedars Guest Speakers David Thomas, Worship Associate Come and celebrate Earth Day through ritual, song and poetry and feel how the precious and ancient earth renews and transforms us. Fran Korten, Michael Cox and Reverend Margo will be speakers at this service.